Violinist, conductor, university professor and vice-rector
Born in Upper Austria, Meissl studied at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna under Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Gerhart Hetzel and Hatto Beyerle. He graduated with honours and received an award from the Ministry. In 1982, he joined the Artis Quartet, which, after further studies with the LaSalle Quartet in the USA and several prizes at international competitions, was able to establish itself permanently and played in the same line-up for 43 years (until the end of 2025). Over 2000 concerts in renowned series and festivals worldwide, numerous prizes for more than 40 recordings (Grand Prix du Disque, Diapason d'Or, Echo Klassik, Midem Classics, etc.) and the successful ‘Artis Series’ at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in the Vienna Musikverein from 1988 to 2025 document the ensemble's international standing.
Meissl also performs regularly as a soloist and in mixed chamber music projects, and has also been a successful conductor for many years.
He has been teaching at the mdw since 1992, and has been a university professor of chamber music since 2004.
Since 2019, he has been Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Art at this world-leading university. Prior to that, he was the long-standing director of the Joseph Haydn Institute for Chamber Music and New Music, and also chairman of the mdw Senate.
Meissl is artistic director of the isa – International Summer Academy of the mdw, artistic co-director of the ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy), gives masterclasses worldwide and was a guest professor in Shanghai and Tokyo.
He is heavily involved in the Europe-wide Musethica project, which combines intensive performance training for outstanding students with social outreach and community engagement.
For over 30 years, Meissl has been a teacher and mentor to generations of young chamber musicians and ensembles. Many of his students have won first prizes at major international competitions and have established successful careers.
Meissl has also worked as artistic producer for award-winning recordings (Echo, Midem Classics) with several quartets who had been his students.